| Clerks | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Clerks_movie_poster;_Just_because_they_serve_you_---_.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kevin Smith |
| Written by | Kevin Smith |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | David Klein |
| Edited by |
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Production company | |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget |
|
| Box office | $4.4 million[1] |
Clerks is a 1994 American black-and-white comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith in his feature directorial debut.[2] Starring Smith along with Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Marilyn Ghigliotti, Lisa Spoonauer, Jason Mewes, and Scott Mosier (with whom he also produced and edited the film), it presents a day in the lives of store clerks Dante Hicks (O'Halloran) and Randal Graves (Anderson) as well as their acquaintances. It is the first of Smith's View Askewniverse films, and introduces several recurring characters, notably Jay and Silent Bob (played by Mewes and Smith respectively).
Clerks was initially shot for $27,575 before its film rights were purchased by Miramax and $230,000 was spent on music licensing and editing. It was shot in the convenience and video stores where Smith worked in real life. [2] Clerks was well received by critics upon its theatrical release and grossed over $4 million in theaters, launching his career. In 2006, a sequel was released, followed by a third installment in 2022. Often regarded as a cult classic and a landmark in independent filmmaking, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2019 as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[3]
- ^ "Selected Sundance alumni domestic vs international". Screen International. February 17, 1997. p. 18.
- ^ a b Hoad, Phil (May 7, 2019). "Kevin Smith: how we made Clerks". The Guardian. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "'Purple Rain,' 'Amadeus,' 'Boys Don't Cry,' 'Clerks' Enter National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter. December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2019.